Imagining a future family: students with care experience

Although a significant number of care experienced parents have their own children taken into care, most go on to parent without intervention from services, suggesting a complex relationship between experiences of parenting in childhood and parenting practices in adulthood. This research provides unique and compelling evidence that directly challenges deficit-based narratives, illuminating the agency and potential of care-experienced individuals. Findings are drawn from interviews with care experienced university students, enrolled in universities across England and Wales. Through in-depth qualitative analysis, the study demonstrates that care experienced students possess strong desires for stable, secure family lives, actively drawing on positive role models from their past to inform their future parenting. Significantly, participants revealed that they aspired to be ‘excellent’ parents and were confident that they gained knowledge of what ‘not to do’ from those who previously caused them harm or distress. A minority of participants disclosed that they did not plan to have children in the future due to their previous experiences in childhood. This paper contributes unique insights into the shifting identities of care experienced university students as they consider their hopes and aspirations for their future families.